Gary's day

Today we were on the Stort Backwater for the Lea and Stort match against Sawbridgeworth. A big thank you to the Thursday Work Party as their work over the last few months has transformed the river.

With almost no flow or colour but the water still quite warm it was anyone's guess as to how it would fish. Out of the bag (well envelope today) came peg 8 for me. Not one I have fished before but it always looks good as I walk past. Deciding to keep it simple I had just brought maggots; the last 2 pints from Stansted so a close call.

Plumbing up I was surprised to find it quite a bit shallower under the boat so needed to make up another rig. The shallow water was not a great sign for perch action.

It was a slow, slow start. Not unexpected as maggots can take a while to work especially if the water has not been fished for a while. But when those fishing breadpunch had not gotten off to the usual quick start on this method things did not look good.

5 1/2 hours later I had scratched my way to 25 fish for 1lbs 3oz, the fish must have been hollow. Around me had faired no better with Mark and Fred upstream from me being plagued by crayfish when trying for perch. Well done to Steve and Colin at the top end who stuck to their guns going for perch with Colin having a huge 3lbs 7oz specimen - sorry no photo.

Bishop's Stortford retained the Lea and Stort Cup with 15lbs 2oz to Sawbridgeworth's 8lbs 8oz

And individually 1st Steve Foster 5lbs 6oz, 2nd Colin Hawkins 4lbs 7oz, 3rd Mark Halverson 3lbs 1oz and 4th Tony Cruci 2lbs 2oz. Picture is my peg at the end of the match